The Stranger's Gallery in the lower house of South Australia's Parliament House has had its name changed to be more welcoming after a push by visiting primary school students.
The space for the public to view the House of Assembly will now be known as the Public Gallery after the name change passed a vote yesterday.
Year 6 students from Prospect Primary School visited Parliament House six months ago and thought the name "had such a negative connotation", according to the school's principal, Karen Duval.
"As soon as they saw the word 'strangers' they didn't feel like that was going to be a respectful place [which is] something we instil in our students where they'd feel like they'd want to come and feel comfortable and have a voice," Ms Duval said.
They then wrote a letter to local MP Lucy Hood and Assistant Minister to the Premier Emily Bourke to suggest changing the name.
Ms Duval said the students did not think anything would happen because of their young age but were very excited to see they were successful.
"The thing for us with the students was they were extremely proud of their ability to articulate their thinking and to then be creatively asked the question on why the gallery had such a negative connotation," she said.
Assistant Minister Emily Bourke said the House of Assembly voted out a tradition that no longer aligned with the community's values.
"Kids are often taught 'stranger danger', but the first sign that all our schoolkids are seeing, and all members of the public are seeing when they pop into parliament to see the very people that people have elected to put into the people's house is the word 'stranger', so it's not at all a welcoming term," she said.
This follows similar changes made — some 20 years ago — in other states, the Commonwealth Parliament and in the UK.
The Legislative Council still has a Stranger's Gallery, with that chamber yet to vote on changing the name.
There is also a Strangers' Dining Room in parliament.
Babies were allowed in parliament last year for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding after previously being refused entry as "strangers".
